Sharon Mitchell
Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean; previously Watts and Rickman) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who made her first appearance on the first episode dated February 19 1985. The character was conceptualised by Tony Holland and Julia Smith, the creators of EastEnders. Despite Dean quitting the role in 1995, after ten years, she returned in 2001, when reintroduced by producer John Yorke. Dean continued the role until January 2006. However, on August 13 2012, she returned after six years away from the square. Dean filmed her 2000th episode on April 10 2019. Sharon has exceeded numerous viewer polls, suggesting she is one of EastEnders' most liked characters. Critics have praised the character's complex progression from teenager to adult, referencing the investment that viewers hold in Sharon, having watched her grow up on-screen. While Sharon's returns to EastEnders have been welcomed by some critics, other received her reappearances as an indication that the show's writers and producers had run out of original ideas. Dean has defended the decision to reintroduce Sharon, hinting that long-running dramas such as EastEnders need "old blood". Sharon has been dubbed one of the "most popular" characters in EastEnders. Television critic Matt Bayliss, who once wrote storylines for EastEnders, insinuated in 2010 that what made Sharon an interesting, classic, female character was her psychology was laid bare. Viewers could see how her troubled upbringing contributed to the mistakes she made and the low self-esteem she had in later life. Storylines 1985–1995 Den (Leslie Grantham) and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) adopted Sharon when she was three, and raised her at The Queen Victoria public house in Albert Square, Walford, where her adopted parents were landlords. She and her best friend, Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) compete for the affections of Kelvin Carpenter (Paul J. Medford). This leads to Sharon wanting to go on the pill, which shocks Angie. However, after Angie gets advice from Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Dr. Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton), Sharon and Angie talk about it and Sharon decides to wait. Her teenage romance with Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) in 1986 ends when Sharon realises she prefers a more experienced man, Simon Wicks (Nick Berry), who ends the relationship when she refuses to have sex (although she eventually loses her virginity to him when she is 18). In 1987, she seeks refuge from her turbulent home life with church curate, Duncan Boyd (David Gillespie). They plan to marry but Duncan bores Sharon and she ends the engagement. Sharon is torn between her conflicting parents until their marriage deteriorates and, in 1988, Angie emigrates. When Den gets involved in gangland crime, he is shot and assumed dead. Shortly after Den's death, Michelle confesses to Sharon that Vicki Fowler (Samantha Leigh Martin) is her sister and Sharon is angry and hurt at Michelle. Soon after, Sharon discovers Den's signet ring on a market stall. With Den's body missing, Sharon convinces the police to drag a nearby canal in April 1990 and is devastated when a body is found and identified as Den's. Sharon resumes a relationship with Simon, whom she hopes to settle down with, but the relationship ends when Simon's affair with Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) is revealed. Hurt and missing her parents, Sharon tracks down her birth mother, Carol Hanley, (Sheila White). They meet several times until Carol confesses she has no maternal feelings for Sharon. Sharon remains at The Queen Vic, working as a barmaid. She starts dating Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) in 1990. A controlling boyfriend, Grant assaults Sharon's boss, Eddie Royle (Michael Melia), when he tries to kiss her. Although Sharon is perturbed by this, she discovers that Grant's violent behaviour results from traumatic experiences as a paratrooper in the Falklands War nearly a decade earlier, and agrees to marry him in 1991. Eddie does not approve of their relationship and fires Sharon so she takes him to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal. She wins but Eddie refuses to reinstate her. Sharon tells Grant she will only marry him if he gets her tenancy back at The Queen Vic. Grant makes this happen and Sharon becomes the new licensee after Eddie is murdered by Nick Cotton in September 1991. That Boxing Day, Grant springs a surprise wedding on Sharon. Although she is initially unimpressed with his romantic gesture, Sharon marries Grant following persuasion from Michelle. Sharon and Grant's marriage is tempestuous and rows occasionally end in violence. While Grant wants to start a family, Sharon prefers to concentrate on making The Queen Vic a successful business. When Grant discovers she is taking the contraceptive pill, he smashes up the pub and disappears, leaving Sharon to be comforted by his brother, Phil (Steve McFadden). Wondering if she has married the wrong brother, Sharon has sex with Phil in September 1992 but chooses to stay with Grant. However, the Mitchells' marriage deteriorates further when Grant torches The Queen Vic in an insurance scam, almost killing Sharon and her dog Roly who are trapped inside. An acrimonious split ensues with Grant hitting Sharon during a power struggle over management of the pub. Michelle calls the police during one of Grant's outbursts and he is imprisoned for assaulting them. While he is in prison, Sharon and Phil reunite and live together as a couple. Neither wants to tell Grant and when he is released, Sharon takes him back, leaving Phil dejected. Phil gets engaged to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth). Realising she still has feelings for Phil, Sharon tries to seduce him. Phil kisses her in a moment of passion that he immediately regrets, so Sharon convinces herself she is happy with Grant and considers having children with him. Simultaneously, Michelle's boyfriend Geoff Barnes (David Roper) wants to interview Sharon for a book he is writing. Michelle conducts a recorded interview but then forgets to turn off the recorder at the end and discusses Sharon's affair with Phil. Grant finds the tape and, on the night of Phil and Kathy's engagement party in October 1994, he plays it to a packed pub. He then attacks Phil and bullies and humiliates Sharon into agreeing to a divorce. She goes to stay with Angie in America but returns in March 1995 to hostility from the Mitchells. She is unperturbed and wins back the respect of Grant who realizes that he still loves her. Wanting revenge for her mistreatment, she leads Grant on while telling Michelle that she plans to humiliate him publicly. They have sex and Sharon lets Grant think a public marriage proposal will seal their reunion. Grant attempts this on the Vic's quiz night; Sharon is all set to turn him down but suddenly cannot go through with it and stops him from proposing. She confesses that she still loves him, then returns to America alone. 2001–2019 In May 2001, Phil and Grant's mother Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) sells The Queen Vic and is furious to discover that Sharon is the new owner. Sharon's boyfriend, Ross Fletcher (Ché Walker), joins her claiming that he has left his wife but Sharon discovers he is lying and ends the relationship and rekindles her romance with Phil. Peggy, however, tries to break them up and fails but Sharon's bombshell that she is infertile following an abortion clearly upsets Phil. Knowing Phil wouldn't be happy without children of his own, Sharon ends the relationship and returns to the States to be with her mother. After Angie dies, Sharon returns to Walford in April 2002 to bury her mother. Angie's death from liver cirrhosis affects Sharon badly and she refuses to reconcile with Phil again, dating an old school friend, Tom Banks (Colm Ó Maonlaí) instead. The relationship survives Tom's unstable wife, Sadie (Isobel Middleton) who is sectioned after holding Sharon hostage and threatening suicide unless Tom takes her back. Sharon sells her share of The Queen Vic back to the Mitchells in September 2002 and purchases a nightclub with Tom, naming it "Angie's Den". When Tom is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, Sharon stands by him and they plan to travel after getting married. On the night of their engagement party, however, Tom discovers a fire at the house of fellow neighbours Little Mo Morgan (Kacey Ainsworth) and her abusive husband Trevor (Alex Ferns); after helping Little Mo escape the fire with Trevor's son, Tom attempts to rescue Trevor - but the pair are killed when the fire explodes. A devastated Sharon reels over Tom's death and later organizes his funeral. In early 2003, Den's daughter Vicki (now Scarlett Johnson) returns to Walford. She and Sharon soon discover that they have a brother - Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) - who was the product of one of Den's affairs 30 years earlier. They discover that Dennis and his mother were still living locally in the home of his late grandparents, but Paula has just died and Dennis was serving a prison sentence for GBH. Dennis has links to the same criminal organisation as Den and in July 2003 he discovers that Den is alive, two months later he tells Sharon of this revelation but she refuses to believe him. Dennis and Sharon fall in love, but their romance is halted by Den's return at the end of September. He had survived the shooting in 1989, fleeing to Spain and starting a new life there. After years of feeling guilty about disowning Den before his "death", Sharon is thrilled to see him but furious about the unnecessary hurt he caused - although he informs her that he had to disappear and fake his own death in order to protect his family as well as himself. Den resumes the position as head of the Watts clan and is disgusted to discover Sharon and Dennis's romantic relationship and blackmails Dennis into ending it. Dennis begrudgingly dates Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), but just before Christmas 2004, he secretly reunites with Sharon. The couple plan to move to America on Christmas Day but Zoe announces she is pregnant, a ruse Den concocts to split up Sharon and Dennis. Sharon refuses to let Dennis abandon his child and leaves Walford, returning briefly in February 2005 when summoned by Den's new wife, Chrissie (Tracy Ann Oberman), with the news that Den is ill. Chrissie, Zoe, and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) confront Den about various deceitful deeds, including Zoe's fake pregnancy and his affairs. Disgusted, Sharon leaves, disowning Den. In a rage, Den attacks Chrissie and she hits him over the head repeatedly with a cast-iron doorstop, killing him. Aided by Zoe and Sam, Chrissie buries Den in the Vic's cellar to cover up the murder. Dennis reunites with Sharon in America and in June 2005 they return to confront Den, but Chrissie claims he has left with another woman - which surprises them, especially as his departure had come so soon after realising his dream of buying back the pub. Sharon and Dennis marry on 29 August 2005; during their reception, however, Sam is arrested for digging up Den's body to incriminate Chrissie; however, Sam is charged with Den's murder. Her brothers, Phil and Grant, return weeks later to convince Sharon of Chrissie's guilt. Sharon and Grant resolve their past grievances, as do Dennis and Phil, and the four work together with Peggy to bring Chrissie to justice. Eventually, Phil and Grant manage to extract a tape of Chrissie confessing to Den's murder - thus proving her guilty to the police. While Sam would later be released from prison, Sharon personally confronts Chrissie just as she attempts to flee the country and punches her to avenge her father's death; Chrissie is then arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the Mitchell's victory is cut short when Sam is forced to flee the country after discovering that she will likely be detained for perverting the course of justice in Den's murder. On Christmas Day 2005, Sharon is stunned to discover she is pregnant. She and Dennis celebrate the potential of having a child. However, their happiness is threatened when Dennis' resolved issues with Phil leads him to become embroiled into a conflict against his enemy and the square's crime kingpin: Johnny Allen (Billy Murray). When Sharon starts to intervene in Johnny's personal affairs in an attempt to warn him to stay away from Dennis, he throttles her and proceeds to give Sharon an ultimatum; he will kill Dennis unless they leave Walford by midnight on New Year's Eve. Sharon persuades Dennis to leave after confiding in Phil about Johnny's threat. Phil, seeking to get one over Johnny before the end of 2005, later informs Dennis about the threat after telling him that Johnny killed his best-friend Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs). At first Dennis refuses to submit to Phil's temptation in confronting Johnny about Andy's murder, but relents after Phil describes the way how Johnny threatened Sharon earlier on. Dennis ends up attacking Johnny to avenge both Andy and Sharon, leaving him battered as Phil had hoped. At the stroke of New Year's Day, Sharon and Dennis spot each other and they start to reunite until Dennis has a run-in with a person - and ends up getting stabbed; Dennis stumbles upon Sharon's arms and dies, though not before telling her "We did it!". Heartbroken and devastated over her brotherly husband's death, Sharon refuses to speak after requesting Phil to avenge Dennis' murder. Later on at Dennis' funeral, Sharon attacks Johnny when he turns up at the funeral - prompting Phil to take her home. Concerned for her unborn child, Phil persuades Sharon to return to Florida to live with Michelle in January 2006; Sharon later gives birth to a son, Dennis Rickman Jnr (Harry Hickles/Bleu Landau). During her absence, Phil keeps his promise for Sharon and persuades Grant to help them get justice for Sharon. They confront Johnny and learn that he ordered his henchman Danny Moon (Jake Maskall) to kill Dennis; the two are nearly killed after Johnny captures the brothers and orders Danny to execute them, but Phil and Grant are saved when Danny is accidentally shot dead by his brother Jake (Joel Beckett) - who merely attempted to wound Danny and not kill him in order to stop him. Shortly after Danny's death, Johnny is arrested for the murders of both Andy and Dennis after his daughter Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) forces him to turn himself in - threatening to disown her father otherwise; Johnny ends up getting sentenced to life imprisonment, and later dies of a heart attack in October 2006. Sharon returns to Walford in August 2012 asking Phil to help her retrieve Dennis from her fiancé, John Hewland (Jesse Birdsall), whom she has just jilted at their wedding ceremony. Furious, John suggests that he saved Sharon from destitution and kidnaps Dennis but Phil rescues him. Sharon manages Phil's nightclub "R&R" and starts dating Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Sharon and Jack's romance is complicated by Phil, who is determined to reignite a relationship with Sharon. A feud between Jack and Phil ensues, with both proposing to Sharon. She accepts Jack's proposal but, realising he still loves his former wife Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack), Jack cancels the wedding. Phil then persuades Sharon to move in with him but she struggles to cope with Jack's rejection and resumes dependency on painkillers, an addiction that developed to manage her grief following Dennis' murder. When Sharon passes out unconscious while looking after Phil's granddaughter Lexi Pearce, he throws her out. The upheaval affects Dennis; he starts misbehaving and clashes at school with teaching assistant Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). Dennis lies when he falls and grazes his arm, telling Sharon that Whitney has assaulted him. Blind to Dennis 's misbehaviour, Sharon reports Whitney to the school board requesting her dismissal but is forced to contemplate the truth when Whitney is exonerated. In December 2013, Sharon reunites with Phil and moves back in with him. Sharon's trust in Phil is tested when he confesses his part in Dennis' fatal altercation with Johnny in 2005, but she nevertheless remains with him and together they buy a new bar: The Albert. Phil grows resentful of Sharon's preoccupation with The Albert. To re-assert his authority and demonstrate Sharon's vulnerability, Phil hires two men to vandalise the bar, but his plan goes awry when Sharon dismisses the bouncers Phil employs to intercept the vandalising. Sharon confronts the vandals alone and they critically injure her; she is hospitalised with a ruptured spleen. Guilt-ridden, Phil confides in his ex-lover Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) who helps conceal his botched plan. When Shirley confesses she still loves Phil, he spurns her advances and instead proposes marriage to Sharon after she regains consciousness, which she accepts. Upon release from the hospital, Sharon fears being attacked again. She steals Ronnie's gun for protection but is horrified when Dennis almost finds it. While attempting to dispose of the gun, she overhears Shirley reprimanding Phil for arranging the attack on her. She vows revenge and recruits Phil's former lawyer, Marcus Christie (Stephen Churchett), to help fleece Phil. She later recants when she sees Phil's caring side but, unbeknownst to her, Phil has already discovered her deception. He confides in Shirley who convinces him Sharon hates him and they begin an affair. Phil vows to humiliate Sharon by dumping her at their wedding so he can be with Shirley. On the wedding day, however, Phil cannot go through with this and after he and Sharon confront each other about their respective deceptions, they agree to marry. Enraged at Phil's rejection and unable to stop the marriage going ahead, Shirley declares at the post-wedding dinner that she and Phil had sex. Distraught and humiliated, Sharon attempts to flee but Phil persuades her that he loves her. He suggests that sleeping with Shirley sickens him and, when Sharon forces him to say this to Shirley's face, Shirley threatens to shoot him with Sharon's gun. Phil dismisses her threats but, in a tussle between the women, Shirley fires the gun and Phil is shot. Sharon is distraught at nearly losing Phil and when he regains consciousness, he persuades her to put her anger aside and give their marriage a try. When Sharon receives a letter from her birth mother, Carol, in 2015, she is ambivalent about resuming contact. She eventually decides to reconnect but discovers her mother has recently died. She meets her half brother Kristopher (Jonathan Broadbent) who gives her old letters from her birth father, Gavin, revealing his interest in meeting Sharon. Sharon attempts to trace Gavin and visits Den's former solicitor, Margaret Midhurst (Jan Harvey), who reveals that Den specifically requested to adopt Sharon as he knew her father. When Dennis slaps Sharon across the face during an argument, her long-time friend Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) confronts Sharon about her parenting skills and, following a row with Ian, she finally realises that she needs to control his bad behaviour. Phil is blackmailed into signing The Albert over to Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood), forging Sharon's signature. Sharon is angry but Phil pacifies her by revealing he has traced her father, now going by the name of Gordon Cook (Stephen Marcus). Gordon is a dishevelled man living in a run-down house. Phil persuades Sharon not to pursue meeting Gordon, but she changes her mind and visits him. When Gordon is unwelcoming and cannot answer Sharon's questions, it emerges that Phil has paid Gordon to pretend to be Sharon's father. Sharon offers Gordon more money to double-bluff Phil and brings him home to Walford. She eventually manipulates Phil into admitting the truth. Sharon insists that Vincent return half of the business back to her, otherwise she will take him to court, so they become business partners. To pacify Sharon, Phil gives her another address for her father. She sees from his house that he must be wealthy, and realises that the two already lead separate lives; she gives up the search. Sharon believes that Max Branning (Jake Wood) is responsible for the murder of Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?) but she soon discovers the truth when Cindy Williams (Mimi Keene) sends her surrogate brother Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) a video message on his laptop revealing that he killed her. Ian's wife Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) denies this but when Sharon remains unconvinced, Jane admits the truth. Sharon suspects Phil of having an affair with "K" who, unbeknownst to her and Ian, is Kathy. Sharon soon comes face to face with Kathy; the resulting row culminates in Sharon's face being pressed against a car by Kathy. She reveals to Sharon that Phil has known that Kathy has been alive for several years, so Sharon leaves Phil and moves into Ian's house. Phil goes missing and it is later revealed that Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas), Kathy's controlling husband, has taken him hostage. Phil later returns and collapses, and Sharon takes him back. Concerned for her husband, Sharon remains hostile towards Kathy although Ian attempts to keep the peace between them. This behaviour persists until Halloween night when Sharon arrives home to find Gavin threatening to kill both Kathy and Ben Mitchell (Harry Reid); he greets her with the immortal words "Hello, Princess"—Den's catchphrase, revealing that he is her biological father. She is disgusted when she discovers that Gavin handed Sharon to Den as a business trade. When the police arrive, Sharon has allowed him to escape. Sharon discovers that Phil has been drinking again, which, after trying to take alcohol from him, leads to Sharon's ear being cut. When Bobby kills Dennis' (now Bleu Landau) pet spider, Sharon tells Jane and Ian she will go to the police about Bobby killing Lucy. Bobby and Dennis's feud leads to Dennis going missing; when Ian and Phil find him, a drunk and distracted Phil crashes the car, leaving Dennis severely injured. Ian takes the blame for the crash in exchange for Phil convincing Sharon not to go to the police; Sharon ends her friendship with Ian. Gavin visits and supports Sharon in the hospital, and offers her a chance to live with him in Hong Kong when Dennis recovers, but Sharon declines, promising to still keep in touch. Phil then pledges to always stand by her and Dennis. Sharon is stunned when Phil admits he was driving, so Sharon leaves him and renews her friendship with Ian. She does not believe Phil when he says he is dying from cirrhosis, and she moves into Ian's house until Dennis is discharged. Gavin visits her again, saying he wants a second chance of having a family. Sharon then learns from Phil's daughter Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper), whom Phil had tracked down earlier that morning, that Phil has collapsed and is in hospital. At the hospital, Sharon realises Phil was telling the truth, but he has discharged himself to get drunk. When Dennis is discharged from the hospital, Sharon calls Gavin, telling him that they are coming with him. A week and a half later, Sharon returns with Dennis for Billy (Perry Fenwick) and Honey Mitchell's (Emma Barton) second engagement party only to find Phil collapsed on the floor from coughing up blood. She, Ronnie, Billy, Honey, Ben and Jay all find out at the hospital that unless Phil stops drinking and undergoes an urgent liver transplant, he is likely to have only twelve months left to live. Ronnie tries to convince Sharon to visit Phil, but Sharon tells her that Phil caused Dennis's injuries. Sharon then has the locks changed and tells Ronnie that she will not let Phil come back. Phil files for divorce and Sharon agrees, moving in with Ronnie when Phil moves back in with his family. Sharon supports Phil who is trying to come to terms with Peggy's impending death. However, Sharon shares an intimate moment with her apologetic first husband Grant who is briefly back in Walford on her tip off, before making amends with Peggy. She carries on supporting Phil following Peggy's death. Soon after, Sharon is incensed by Bobby's attack on Jane, revealing the truth about Lucy to Ben in her anger and worry. Despite this, Sharon gives Bobby moral support during police questioning until DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman) tells her to leave. Sharon and Phil receive letters saying their divorce is close to being finalised, but Sharon tells Shirley that they are back together. Sharon and Shirley pack away Peggy's things so Phil can move back in but when he finds out, he is angry. However, Sharon tells him that Peggy will never be coming back and he cries in her arms. Sharon is unaware that Dennis remains in contact with Gavin, but eventually finds out and Buster Briggs (Karl Howman) tells her that Kathy has gone with Gavin, so go to Gavin's house. As they arrive, Sharon's solicitor and Gavin's sister, Margaret, falls on Buster's car after being pushed from a balcony by Gavin, and she dies instantly. Buster and Sharon break into the house to help Kathy. Buster gets to her while Sharon talks to Gavin, urging him to hand himself into the police, who have arrived on the scene, and she promises not to turn her back on him if he does so. He says he will, but then when she lets him out of the room, he tries to escape but is trapped on the balcony. The police arrive on the balcony and he threatens to jump with Sharon but she says he would never do that to himself so he lets her go and is arrested. When Sharon sees a letter that Michelle sent to Peggy, she leaves to visit Michelle without telling anybody why. She returns when she hears that Ben is missing, and she contacts Grant to help find him. She is shocked when Grant's daughter Courtney Mitchell (Alice Nokes) tells her he is not coming, but she coincidentally then finds him outside the police station. He tells her that he loves her, but she rejects him. Phil then discovers Michelle's letter, learning that Grant fathered her baby 21 years previously. To stop Phil telling Grant the truth about his son, Mark Fowler (Ned Porteous), Sharon tells Phil about Grant's declaration of love. However, Grant finds out the truth, and Sharon confirms it to Mark when he works it out. When Sharon discovers Phil has changed his will, leaving everything to Louise, she forces him to change it to include her. After Phil has been sober for six months, he decides he does not want a liver transplant and he should be allowed to die. Sharon stands by his decision but he changes his mind after realising the effect on Dennis and Louise. Phil is placed on a transplant list but gives up hope, telling Sharon the family need to enjoy Christmas without him; she angrily tells him he can die. However, he returns a day later. Sharon is then reunited with her friend Michelle (now Jenna Russell), who will not talk about why she is back. On Christmas Day, a new liver is found for Phil and his surgery is successful. A week later, Sharon tells Phil that Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) have both died. At Michelle's leaving party, Sharon overhears Denise Fox (Diane Parish) confess to Shirley that Phil is the father of her unborn child. Sharon makes plans for her and Dennis to move back to Florida until Sharon realises that Phil did not cheat on her as she and Phil were not together at the time he had sex with Denise. Michelle confides in Sharon that since Mark left home with his girlfriend, she and Tim have not had sex for almost two years. She confides in Sharon she broke the law by having a relationship with a 17-year-old student while she was a teacher. Sharon finds out about Denise's plan to have her son adopted so tells Phil the truth after Phil expresses his wish to adopt Dennis. Phil demands to see his son, but Sharon gets them to talk calmly. Sharon agrees to help Phil fight for his son but then stands by him when he agrees to the adoption. Michelle arranges for Sharon and Phil to spend time alone together and Phil decides to take Sharon on holiday. When Michelle is involved in a car crash after her affair with Preston Cooper (Martin Anzor) is exposed, Sharon returns after receiving a phonecall from Ian. Sharon tells Ian and Martin that she knew about Michelle and Preston's affair and she convinces Preston to leave. This angers Michelle when she regains consciousness. Sharon remains in Walford while Phil is still in Italy. Sharon supports Louise when she believes she was raped by Keegan Baker (Zack Morris) after her drink was spiked at a party. Sharon confronts Keegan's mother, Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) and Karen punches Sharon. The investigation is dropped due to a lack of evidence and Keegan admits that he lied about having sex with Louise. After he returns from Italy, Phil tells Sharon he wants to adopt Dennis. Phil participates in a robbery arranged by Aidan Maguire (Patrick Bergin) but the money they stole from Ciara Maguire (Denise McCormack) goes missing. Ciara sends her sister-in-law, Mel Owen (Tamzin Outhwaite), to Walford to find the stolen money, and Sharon admits to Mel that she took it. Mel tells Ciara and Sharon is forced to return the money. When Phil discovers that Sharon took the money, he initially orders her to leave, but forgives her and is impressed with her when she explains that she was going to give it to him. However, their relationship starts to deteriorate due to Phil’s bullying behaviour and her boredom with simply being his stay at home wife, and finds herself becoming attracted to Phil's employee, Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). After Phil announces he is going to Spain for two months without Sharon, she becomes furious at his thuggish behaviour and throws an ornament at the wall. Despite Phil's attempts to explain himself, Sharon dismisses his excuses as she grows ever more tired of his neglect of her. After Phil leaves for Spain, Sharon invites Keanu over to the house where they kiss and have sex. After arranging to meet at the canal, Keanu sees Linda disposing of the gun used to shoot Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ). Sharon pays Keanu to keep quiet about what he saw. After Keanu posts the money back to Sharon and informs the police of what he saw, leading to Linda's arrest, Sharon is furious. After opening up to each other, with Sharon confessing the secretive gangster life Phil lives is not for her, they make up. Sharon fears Dennis has caught her and Keanu together, but it later turns out to be a false alarm. When Keanu struggles to find work, Sharon attempts to help him, initially by persuading Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) to allow him to fix her moped, and then letting Keanu use Phil's car as a taxi service. Sharon is jealous of Keanu's friendship with Hayley Slater (Katie Jarvis), and spitefully takes Phil's car back from him although Keanu later reassures her there is nothing between him and Hayley. After a misunderstanding over the age at which Keanu can become a cab driver, Sharon discovers he's only 19, younger than she believed him to be. The age gap unsettles Sharon, and she ends their affair, however, they later reconcile. Sharon starts receiving threatening text messages from an unknown person regarding their affair. At a party at The Queen Vic, Sharon and Keanu are seen kissing by Karen who demands they stop the affair. Sharon is then shocked to find out it has been Louise sending her text messages, she manages to persuade Louise she has the misunderstood everything and successfully persuades her to drop the accusation before ending the affair with Keanu once more. Keanu asks to remain friends with Sharon and she initially agrees, but when a goodbye kiss between them turns into sex, she admits that things will be too weird between them and tells him they should stay away from each other. However, they reunite their affair again weeks later, and when Phil returns whilst they’re in bed, Keanu is forced to hide under the bed whilst she has sex with Phil. Sharon’s confusion over who she wants to be with ends with her ending her affair with Keanu for good, and going to stay with Michelle in Australia to clear her head. After Keanu continues to try and contact her she leaves a message for him to move on, and Keanu then sleeps with Louise. Sharon returns two months later to witness Keanu and Louise kissing, now in a relationship, which she is obviously jealous of. Keanu confronts her in the Vic toilets, saying he still has feelings for her, but Sharon denies she feels the same. After Keanu ends his relationship with Louise and pursues Sharon again, she convinces Phil to send him to Spain on a job, which she is unaware is dangerous. After Keanu confronts her and tells her of the danger, she tries to convince him not to leave, but he does so anyway, telling her it’s over. Keanu is beaten up in Spain, and Karen rages at Sharon, threatening to tell Phil of the affair unless he saves Keanu. Phil travels to Spain to help him, and he later returns to Walford, telling Sharon he blames her for what happened and now hates her. Sharon later discovers that Dennis has been involved with drug dealers, after Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith) informs her. This results in her punching Stix Redman (Kasey McKellar), breaking his nose and threatening him never to come near Dennis again. This results in problems with Aden is when he punches her, giving her a black eye. After Louise is kidnapped, she and Keanu begin a relationship, something Sharon is uncomfortable with. Louise later discovers she is pregnant with Keanu’s baby, but after she discovers Phil was initially paying him to be in a relationship with her, she breaks up with him and tells Sharon she’s pregnant and wants an abortion. Sharon takes her to the clinic, and confides in her about her own abortion many years earlier that she believed had left her infertile. Unbeknownst to her, Louise does not go through with the abortion after talking to Lola about being a mother. Sharon tries to talk to Keanu after he finds out about the abortion, and after a heart to heart in the Arches where they both admit they loved the other, they give into temptation and sleep together again. They both agree it can’t happen again the following day, and Ben (now Max Bowden) nearly sees a tender moment between them. After Keanu’s brothers are attacked by Dennis and other boys, Sharon realises that her parenting has contributed towards Dennis’ behaviour, and decides they should attend family therapy. After some persuasion from Sharon, Louise eventually reveals to Keanu that she’s still pregnant and they reunite, at the same time as Sharon takes a pregnancy test and discovers she is also pregnant. At family therapy the following day, Sharon cries over the stress of family life, as well as Phil and Dennis’ poor attempts to engage with the therapy. At home afterwards, Sharon goes outside with a glass of wine, before smashing it, screaming and breaking down, realising what a mess her life has become and the stress of not knowing who the baby’s father is. After looking at abortion clinics on the computer, Phil accidentally discovers she’s pregnant, and Sharon lets him believe it’s his. Phil later announces to the family that Sharon is pregnant, against her wishes. When Keanu discovers she’s pregnant and that he could be the father, he decides that he should tell Louise about their affair. Sharon and Karen kidnap him in order to prevent this, tying him up in a warehouse in order to scare him by showing him what Phil would do if he found out. After a confrontation on the roof where Sharon tries to tell him it’s not his baby, he returns home, promising not to reveal their affair as his future is now with Louise. Sharon breaks down again at home, and later decides with Phil that they need to have tests as there is a risk to the baby at her age. Category:Characters Category:Watts family Category:Mitchell family Category:Present